The 2020 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 14 to 28 January 2020. A total of 28 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide the remaining eight of the 32 places in the group stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League.
The following 28 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of three rounds:
<section begin=Format /> In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2).<section end=Format />
The schedule of each round was as follows.
<section begin=Format /> The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.<section end=Format />
A total of eight teams played in the preliminary round 1. <section begin=Preliminary round 1 />
|+West Region
|+East Region
<section end=Preliminary round 1 />
A total of 16 teams played in the preliminary round 2: twelve teams which entered in this round, and the four winners of the preliminary round 1. <section begin=Preliminary round 2 />
|+West Region
|+East Region
<section end=Preliminary round 2 />
A total of 16 teams played in the play-off round: eight teams which entered in this round, and the eight winners of the preliminary round 2. <section begin=Play-off round />
|+West Region
|+East Region
<section end=Play-off round />